Measuring dispenser having a cylindrical chamber and a rotary measuring element mounted therein



Aug. 15, 1950 A. c. BROUN v 7 2,518,520

MEASURING DISPENSER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER 7 AND A ROTARY MEASURING ELEMENT MOUNTED THEREIN Filed June 20, 1947 ARCHIBALD .c. BROUN Patented Aug. 15, 1950 "STATES PATENT OFFICE MEASURING DISPENSER HAVING A CYLIN- DRICALLCHAMBER AND A'Ro'r-ARY MEAS- URING ELEMENT MOUNTED THEREIN ArchibaldQ'Broun, LCook, Minn.

=Applicati'on ilunel20, 1947, Seria'l-No. 756,012

T2 Claims. ,1- in v invention; relates 1701 devices for accurately measuring and dispensing predetermined quantities of granular =or comminuted solid material.

ltriswanobject of -my.:invention to provide a very ;:simple, inexpensive 'but ihighly "efficient measuring dispenser, particularly adapted to be readily applied to conventional containers such assMason'jarstand to rquickly and accurately dispense fromthe dischargeior delivery end thereof, a predetermined measurement of the material from the container.

While capable of wide general "use, my invention -has. particular adaptability for: conveniently dispensingrmeasured quantities :of. food-materials such as .cofieetea, flour sugarrand the like' It is alfurther object tdprovidea -measuring dispenser .of [the class described wherein the de vice may be readily attached to or detacheddrom a conventional container" such as a Mason jar enabling the assembly to be mounted in inverted position and having. eonvenientimeans for turning a measuring element .a predetermined distance'to measure and discharge.aldesiredquantity of the material.

Anotherc'alzije'ct"is the "provision of a dispenser of the :class described whichwill substantially exclude air from the contents :of the container and which is constructed to permit :a'dequate cleaning and sterilization ofvpartst :More specifically, it is an object to provide ta dispenser of the class described which will lend itself to-inexpensive manufacture by mo'lding process Efrem such materialsaszplastics andm'etal; which comprises essentially, two working parts and which will Withstand long continued usage.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:;

Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing all of the parts of an embodiment of the invention separated, in position for assembly and attachment of the device to an inverted Mason jar;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing the device detached; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation showing a side closure plate for the shell body detachably secured to the shell.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the body of my device -:is in the form ofan invertedrshell which may be conveniently molded from plastic materials or metal havingan annular attachment flange-E as shown, of aninternal diameter and internally threaded to readily engage and besecured to the threaded neck of a conventional container such asa-Mason jar. The shell body, :as' shown, has i an integrally :formed, generally cylindrical main portion I mounted within-the confines'of the external diameter of attachment flange 1 and depending therefrom andbeing constructed on its interior surface-to definera generally lcylindricalmeasuring chamber la; the bore of said-chamberextendingfrom one enbof the shellrbody to a point closely adjacent the opposite end forming an end closure'wall lb.

The said chamber "la is :in'open communicat tion with the interior of the upper 213011311011 of the shell and to facilitate feedingand slidingef material iinwardly, converging-or sloping surfaces 1c :are :provided in -.the construction 'of @the shell. Atthe outer end- 'of the-shelLa longitudinaL'horL zontal, transverse slot ldisprovided, constitut ing the discharge for a measured :quanti-tyof granular or other-fiowablematerial. -It-will rbe noted: that the interior of: the body or shell defines in conjunction with the-Ldischa'rge 1d; 1a material-flow :p'assage extending therethrough, with the intermediate portion defining the 'substantially cylindrical measuring chamber 1a;

Withinmeasuring chamber la, a rotaryor 'oscillatory measuring element indicated as an entirety by the. numeral 8:is journaledranda's "shown, comprisesan integrally formednpreferably mold. ed or cast, member consisting in a series of elongated radially extending wings or partitions 8a having straight longitudinal edges which work with close clearance within the cylindrical side wall portions of the measuring chamber la. An axial trunnion 8b is provided at one end of the measuring member j-ournaled in a suitable socket or bearing provided in the interior of the end wall lb of the shell. The opposite end of measuring member 8 as shown, is provided with an axial turning knob having a cylindrical journaled portion 8d adjacent its connection with an end disc 86, preferably integrally formed with the radial partitions 80,. An end plate 9 is provided for the shell body being circularly apertured to provide a bearing 90. in which the journal 8d of the turning knob is journaled. A spring retaining plate Ill having a central detent I'Oa of U-shape, is interposed between the inner side of end disc 8c of the measuring element. The detent Illa 25 is adapted to yieldingly engage and cooperate with radial slots 8 formed in the outer face of disc 8e to indicate the desired predetermined discharge positions of the measuring element and to retain the measuring element therein.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1

to 4, the end plate 9 as well as the yieldable retaining plate l6,:are secured to the open end of measuring chamber Id of the shell by means of horizontal pins or studs I l which may be integrally formed or molded from the material of the shell 1 and which extend through registering apertures in the upper portions of end plate 9. Assuming the material from which the device is made is plastic, the ends of the pins Il may be fused with the similar material of the end plate to secure the parts compactly with the measuring element confined and accommodated in operative position. As shown, the oscillatory measuring element is provided with three radial partitions defining three measuring compartments although it will of course, be understood that the number may be varied as desired.

In operation, when my dispenser i applied to the open end of a container and the container is inverted, a turn of the measuring element through the prescribed are (as shown, 120), shifts one of the charged compartments defined by the radial partitions'8a to dischargeposition, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the material is dropped by gravity through said longitudinal discharge slot dispensing a measured charge in a confined, dense stream. The required turning of the measuring element is readily detected by the snapping of the detent Illa of the spring member into the next groove 8f at the disc end of the measuring element and the measuring element is thus retained in the discharge position for the ,next cycle of operation.

tending therethrough and in communication with said open attachment end, said body having a discharge opening at the outer end thereof, the interior of said shell body between said open end and said discharge opening defining a cylindrical measuring chamber constituting a part of said passage and having its axis disposed perpendicularly to the flow direction of said passage, said measuring chamber having a closed end and having an open end for facilitating insertion and assembly of a rotary measuring element, a rotary measuring element mounted axially within said chamber and having a plurality of radially arranged, charge-receiving compartments having outer edges disposed in close working clearance to the cylindrical internal wall of said chamber, said rotary measuring element having a journal at one end mounted for rotative bearing relation in the closed end of said cylindrical passage and having a series of circumferentially spaced detents in the opposite end corresponding to the number and positioning of said charge-receiving compartments, an end closure plate affixed to the open end of said cylindrical measuring chamber and having a bearing therein, an axial journal at the adjacent end of said measuring element rotatively mounted in said bearing, a knob afiixed to said last mentioned journal and extending exteriorly of said shell member and a retainer member interposed and secured between said closure plate and the adjacent end of said measuring element and having a narrow, resilient element for selectively engaging the detents at the adjacent end of said rotary element.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein the end of said rotary measuring element adjacent said closure plate has affixed thereto a disc working in close clearance to the internal wall of said measuring chamber, said detents being in said disc and wherein said retainer member comprises a spring strip having aretainerelement-corrugation thereon to cooperate with said detents and means for securing said closure plate'and said strip to the adjacent portion of said shell body.

ARCHIBALD C. BROUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

